Virtua, Samaritan announce expanded services

By July 31, 2013 at 3:00 AM

Marlton health system Virtua and Samaritan Healthcare & Hospice, a palliative care provider in South Jersey, announced Tuesday they have formalized an arrangement for Samaritan to be Virtua's provider of choice for palliative medicine and hospice care.

According to an announcement, the two organizations have a long history of collaboration, and under the expanded agreement, clinicians from Virtua and Samaritan will work more closely together to increase access to a wide range of services. Financial terms were not disclosed.

This partnership combines Virtua's resources in the treatment of disease with Samaritan's expertise in the management of pain and other symptoms. In a statement, the companies said patients continue to see their principal physicians for treatment of their disease while palliative physicians focus on minimizing suffering and helping patients and families cope with illness.